Energy a priority now, Wan Fayhsal says amid nuclear shift push

 The Machang MP says the Iran war has exposed Malaysia’s vulnerability to global supply shocks as it relies on imported fuel while pursuing energy-intensive digital ambitions.

Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal acknowledged the inclusion of nuclear energy in the National Energy Transition Roadmap and the 13th Malaysia Plan as a ‘macroeconomic necessity’.

PETALING JAYA:

 The ongoing Iran war has exposed Malaysia’s energy vulnerabilities, making energy security an urgent economic priority and accelerating the need for nuclear power, says Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal.

He said the conflict has reinforced how exposed Malaysia is to global supply shocks, particularly as the country relies on imported fuel while pursuing energy-intensive digital ambitions.

“Energy-guzzling data centres make little sense when we are a net crude oil importer and when coal-fired power plants remain our main source of electricity,” he told FMT.

Wan Fayhsal, who heads the foreign affairs portfolio for the opposition bloc in the Dewan Rakyat, said the issue goes beyond infrastructure and reflects deeper structural risks.

He said the water required to cool data centres also competes with domestic and agricultural use, “undermining our quest for food security”.

Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof last week said the surge in oil prices resulting from the Middle East conflict shows that Malaysia needs to explore the potential of using nuclear energy.

Nuclear energy as a ‘macroeconomic necessity’

Wan Fayhsal acknowledged the inclusion of nuclear energy in the National Energy Transition Roadmap and the 13th Malaysia Plan as not merely a policy shift but a “macroeconomic necessity”.

He said Malaysia’s target of achieving a 70% renewable energy capacity mix by 2050 faces practical constraints, citing intermittent solar and wind output and limited storage capacity.

“The RM1.85 trillion investment needed to achieve this (target) must come from somewhere and, in today’s climate, it is highly unlikely that oil wealth will be able to contribute significantly,” he said.

Alternatively, Wan Fayhsal said, shifting from fossil fuels to lithium and cobalt supply chains, however, would introduce new geopolitical risks, leaving Malaysia “increasingly beholden to foreign powers for its energy survival”.

“Only nuclear power can provide the secure baseload needed to make renewable energy truly viable in the long run,” said the MP, who is also a member of Parliament’s special select committee on international relations and international trade.

He said the future of firm, zero-carbon baseload power most likely lies in small modular reactors (SMRs), specifically those fuelled by locally mined thorium.

Wan Fayhsal said Malaysia has a strategic advantage in its thorium reserves, accumulated as by-products of rare earth processing in areas such as Bukit Merah in Perak and parts of Pahang.

“Historically viewed as an environmental liability, this thorium surplus can be refined into a sovereign fuel bank,” he added.

Wan Fayhsal said that newer reactor designs, including molten salt reactors, address many of the safety concerns associated with traditional nuclear systems.

He highlighted that SMRs can be factory-built, transported and deployed incrementally, adding that nuclear energy is more land-efficient compared to solar, requiring 18 to 34 times less land per unit of electricity.

“This modularity sharply reduces the decade-long delays, cost overruns and capital risks that have historically plagued nuclear mega projects,” he said.

Malaysia poised to lead

On the regional front, Wan Fayhsal said Asean’s long-term growth depends on achieving genuine energy sufficiency, particularly as global shocks such as the Iran war become more frequent.

He pointed to rising demand from energy-starved neighbours like Singapore and rapidly industrialising regions in Indonesia as an opportunity for Malaysia to export clean power.

However, he noted that regional cooperation often faces delays due to Asean’s consensus-driven approach.

“Mega-infrastructure projects often stall for decades under policy decisions that require slow, consensus-based approvals,” he said.

Despite this, Wan Fayhsal said Malaysia is well positioned to take the lead.

“As a politically stable, rapidly industrialising economy with a pressing need for clean baseload power, Malaysia’s infrastructure is an ideal launchpad for a regional consortium to pioneer the export of clean, modular power to the Global South,” he said.

He added that strategic partnerships with countries such as China, India, Russia and Japan will be key to accelerating nuclear deployment and strengthening Malaysia’s position in Asean’s energy landscape. - FMT